February 21/08 8:52 am - Trans Mexicana: Stage 4,

Posted by Editoress on 02/21/08
 

Trans Mexicana

The Fourth stage of the Trans Mexicana has proven to be the most difficult so far as it is almost 8 o'clock here now, one and a half hours past nightfall and only 11 of the 30 riders have finished.

The riders started out at 9:30 am on the 132 km stage through the Mexican desert. Between the 35 degree celsius heat and constant climbs and decents the stage has taken its toll on the riders and the faces that cross the line are those of utter exhaustion.

Too begin the stage there was a 7 km neutral start which included a scared dog running into and taking out two of the lead cyclists and a bike taxi swerving full speed into the middle of the peloton. Once out into the cacti filled Mexican landscape the real racing started. After a fairly uneventful flat opening 50km, the hills started. Here a lead group of 3 riders formed including Lupillo Cruz, Travis Macey, and Cory Wallace. 75 km in Macey, who had been riding very strong, was unable to hang onto Lupillo and Cory as they screamed down a very treacherous off camber 8 km descent.

Lupillo and Cory began to switch off taking the lead, with Cory gaining a 5 minute advantage at one point before running into a cacti and flatting. Lupillo retook the lead, but then crashed hard on one of the descents and tore open his knee. In the end Wallace took the stage by 19 seconds over Lupillo with Macey coming in 30 minutes behind the leaders. With this stage Lupillo maintains a 8:30 minute advantage over Cory in the GC with Macey now 48:02 back in third.

In the Masters category, Doug Hammell continues to ride strong and again took 1st. He now has a very large gap in the GC over 2nd place. The organizers are giving no mercy to the riders in tommorow's Stage 5 which includes over 3000 m vertical on a 70 km day.


Stage 4